Q&A with Orioles' Nolan Reimold

Outfielder enjoying putting up numbers in the Majors

Less than two months into his Major League career, Nolan Reimold was named the American League Rookie of the Month for June. The Orioles' 6-foot-4 left fielder, a second-round selection out of Bowling Green in 2005, batted .320 and hit four home runs in 26 games last month. While Reimold has cooled off in July, he remains the top run producer among AL rookies this season with nine homers and an .804 OPS. In 2008, Reimold hit .284 with 25 home runs and 84 RBIs for the Double-A Bowie (Md.) Baysox, then batted .412 with another four home runs and 11 RBIs in the Eastern League playoffs. The 25-year-old recently answered some questions from MLBPLAYERS.com:

MLBPLAYERS.com: What has your rookie season been like so far?

Reimold: It's been a lot of fun. I've come up here and had a little success. I'm enjoying the moment and having fun with it.

MLBPLAYERS.com: At the time of your callup, you were hitting nearly .400 at Triple-A Durham. Has it been a case of you carrying over that success?

Reimold: Yes, it was a good time to get called up. I was put in a good situation to succeed. I was pretty hot at the time, and I came up and was able to contribute to the team.

MLBPLAYERS.com: What has been your role with the Orioles this season?

Reimold: I came up, and they told me as long as I was up here that I would be playing. I have gotten a day off here or there, which is different from the Minors. There you never get a day off. It's nice to get a day off here or there, but it is better to be in the lineup the majority of the time.

MLBPLAYERS.com: You're joined in this Baltimore outfield by Adam Jones and Nick Markakis. What can you say about those two guys?

Reimold: They are both solid all-around players. They're five-tool players who do it all. I'm looking to fit in as a left fielder to help make a solid outfield.

MLBPLAYERS.com: You are also getting your first experience at this level with a couple of other rookies. What can you tell us about catcher Matt Wieters and starting pitcher Brad Bergesen?

Reimold: It's been awesome. I came up about the same time as both of them. We've come through the Minor Leagues together, and we're all good friends. It's helped with the transition. I think Matt is an outstanding player. He is going to be a good player in this league for a long time. Bergy has pitched well this year. He's been solid if not spectacular. They are both doing great jobs.

MLBPLAYERS.com: You were named the A.L.'s Rookie of the Month in June. Do you get an award or trophy with that honor?

Reimold: I don't know. I heard somebody was going to check into that for me. Maybe it is just a piece of paper. Either way, it's good to get.

MLBPLAYERS.com: How do you hear about that type of news for the first time?

Reimold: I was sitting in the clubhouse, and our manager, Dave Trembley, called me in his office and told me. It caught me off guard, but it was good to hear.

MLBPLAYERS.com: Defensively, are you naturally a left fielder, and how is your overall game with the glove?

Reimold: I pretty much have played right field since college. This is really my first year in left. I played left in Spring Training this year and last year in the Fall League. I think over time you get used to it. It becomes more natural to you. I'm getting better and better with the more experience I get. I feel good about my defense now.

MLBPLAYERS.com: You spent five years in the Minors. Has your career progressed as you thought it would?

Reimold: I had one season where I was pretty much out the whole year due to injury, and the year before that I was pretty banged up. That delayed me a little bit. I think this year I have taken off some. I guess you can call it a breakout year. I started well, and I hope to continue it throughout the year.

MLBPLAYERS.com: You're only a rookie once. How have you been received off the field by your teammates?

Reimold: I think everyone here is good about taking new guys under their wings. There are so many of us. Everybody is accepting of the new guys and it's fun to play with them.

Jeff Moeller is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.